Nothing screams culture shock quite like going from a 3 month African adventure to a 2 month Eastern European tour.
Our tongues have made the leap from samosas, rice, and chapati to borscht, perogies, and an infinite supply of tasty pastries that are more than qualified to tag on a few more pounds before returning home.
My legs have ventured from the inclines and uneven terrain of Kenya, to the flat, evenly paved and finely set stone walkways of Rivne, Ukraine.
Pardon my face. Sometimes I forget how to smile.
We are now in the land of the MUZUNGU.
OH ,and our style…. our world race fashion sense has certainly clashed with that of the European styles, leaving us shivering in the cold shadows of the mountainous standard of being extremely, super good-looking, AT ALL TIMES.
Seriously.
Noah and I were hanging out on the curb yesterday, and between our loose fitted ninja pants, my beach bum sleeveless shirt, and his 9 months worth of facial hair, I’m pretty sure some thought we were homeless. Either that, or maybe they thought we had lost a bet.
Yes, I choose to dress like this.
We got some looks, a couple smirks and laughs, and a few confused expressions as we sat there, confidently owning our odd style, and simultaneously embracing our new-found friendships with pigeons and other street animals that, if they had the ability to speak English, would have given us a few dressing tips also… Darn that language barrier…. 
Either way, we had committed quite the fashion faux pas.
Old Graham would have been quite uncomfortable in this setting.
Old Graham would have wanted to fit in a little more, to be accepted, to not cause a scene, to not be one of the “Americans”, but to just blend.
But through this race God has taught me so much about individuality, and simply owning who you are.
I realized one day that I’ve always wanted to stand out, to be noticed and remembered, but then whenever I’m different from a group I am the first one to reject myself, and take on the form of others.
This goes so much deeper than simply looking and acting like others, and can actually negatively dominate a person's mentality towards relationships and life if it's roots go deep enough.
I'm not talking about trying to fit in on your first day of 5th grade.
I'm talking about people seeking identity by painfully squeezing into the ideal molds that their predecessors have laid before them or getting crushed by the pressure in the process, young-adults frustratingly planning out their life's achievements because they NEED to earn the respect and recognition of others, and people FAKING who they are to win over that special someone, all the while being afraid to let that special someone see who they really are in fear of rejection.
The problem with wanting to impress others is that you always have to play by their standards. If you want to impress someone, you have to do what THEY find impressive. If you want to play the popularity game, you are actually binding yourself to the expectations and standards of those around you. You actually need THEM more than they need YOU. They DEFINE you at that point. How you gauge your value is determined by how they perceive and rate you as a person. And honestly, it’s very selfish, as you are only in relation with them to fulfill your need for affirmation.
WHOMP.
THUMBS DOWN!!!
It’s terrible.
And I realized that I have lived in that for a good portion of my life.
This brings me to one of my favorite aspects of my walk with God.
He LOVES me, Graham.
He CREATED Graham.
He wants GRAHAM to be GRAHAM.
Cheesy nature pic, but it's okay, I like cheese.
When you have the approval and love of the One who created everything, who else’s approval do you need? Who else do you need to be other than who you are?
The fulfillment of God’s love in my heart gives me a free-pass to go through this life without further bondage to the people-pleasing, self-seeking, affirmation driven motive that has ruled my decision making until recently.
This isn’t all so that I can say “Forget you guys, I don’t care what you think anymore,” but quite the converse. I am called to love as Christ loved, and now I am more free to do so than I ever have. I want others to experience this freedom too.
I’m not afraid to fail anymore, because I already have the victory that counts.
I’m not afraid to lose anything, as I already have what some people spend their whole lives looking for.
I'm not afraid of being misunderstood, mocked, questioned, or disliked because I am understood, encouraged, embraced, and loved by God.
"…perfect love expels all fear."-1 John 4:18
(Okay, I’m still afraid of these things a bit, but I’m getting there… 
)
OWN your individuality, the world needs it. Also, embrace the differences of others, and appreciate them.
Honor your Creator by BEING what He created.
You don’t have to be anything else, you simply have to BE.
Only when we are filled with His love can we pour it out to others as well.
1 John 4:16-19
… “We love each other because He loved us first.”
Seek the Father’s love and affirmation above ALL others.
